Fire officials seek answers in blaze that killed 2 in Uxbridge

This town held its collective breath yesterday, hoping that a 45-year-old mother and her 6-year-old daughter, missing in a raging three-alarm fire at 629 Hartford Avenue East, would be found alive.

But those hopes turned to sadness when officials removed one body from the rubble just before noon yesterday, then another later in the day.

Suzanne Donovan, and her 6-year-old daughter, Fina, were said by people who knew them to be residents of the building. Officials yesterday would not confirm their deaths, and would say only that a mother and her 6-year-old daughter were missing.

Positive identifications of the bodies had not been made last night, according to the Worcester district attorney's office, and the case has been turned over to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to conduct autopsies and identify the bodies. Timothy Connolly, spokesman for District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr, said this morning that no information about the victims would be released until autopsies are completed.

Ms. Donovan was a manager for the past six months at the Sherborn Day Spa, according to Melissa Ringer, salon coordinator.

Ms. Ringer said she got a phone call early Tuesday morning with the news that Ms. Donovan could not be located after the fire, and said the news hit everyone hard. She said she last spoke with Ms. Donovan during her shift on Saturday.

“Nothing special, just a normal business day on a long weekend,” Ms. Ringer said.

She said the staff at the spa liked Ms. Donovan, and said Ms. Donovan was a good single mother to Fina.

“She talked about her a lot,” Ms. Ringer said. “We knew Fina well.”

Ms. Ringer said she thought Ms. Donovan had lived in her current apartment for about two months, and had previously lived elsewhere in Uxbridge. She said Ms. Donovan liked animals, and had previously worked with horses.

“She was funny, she was a great person, and was very friendly,” Ms. Ringer said. “She was only here six months, but everyone loved her right away. It's a great loss for us here.”

Candace Salmon said she knew all the tenants at the “Poor Farm,” as the converted farmhouse was known throughout town. She had worked for building owner Theresa Montville for about 10 years, cleaning the apartments in between tenants.

“It's just a shock to me,” Ms. Salmon said.

Ms. Salmon said she knew the missing mother by her first name, Suzanne, but was too upset to recall the daughter's name.

Ms. Salmon said despite its age, the building was in good condition because the Montville family took good care of it.

“I'm still shaking. I don't even know what to think of it,” Ms. Salmon said.

Some residents said they tried to break down the door on the first floor of the house Monday night, but the fire pushed them back.

Justin Hutchinson, who when he spoke with a reporter was still covered with soot from the fire, lived with his father in a first-floor apartment.

Mr. Hutchinson said he and a friend returned home around 10:30 p.m. on Monday. He soon smelled smoke. The friend called 911, and Mr. Hutchinson made sure his father got out safely.

“I had a feeling they were still in there,” Mr. Hutchinson said of the apartment where a mother and child lived. “It definitely started in the victims' house.”

Mr. Hutchinson said he and his father ran to the front door of the pair's apartment. He kicked in the door but the flames were too intense to enter. He ran to the back door but had no luck getting in.

“The flames just started coming right out,” Mr. Hutchinson said, adding that he and his father were yelling and screaming the entire time. The smoke was so thick by then, no one could see through it, Mr. Hutchinson said.

“I would have done what anyone would have done,” he said.

Richard Baldwin of Northbridge watched the fire Monday night and returned yesterday, describing a blaze that was unbelievable in size and strength.

“The popping,” Mr. Baldwin said. “It was roaring, you could feel the heat way back here.”

Mr. Baldwin said he watched the firefighters work hard to battle the blaze, and was heartsick at the outcome.

“It's sickening; it's a tragedy,” Mr. Baldwin said. “You want to do something, and you just can't.”

The house is owned by Ms. Montville, 85, of 347 West River Road. The Montville family has owned the property for 52 years, according to Michael Burdett, a family friend who issued a statement on behalf of the family.

“The family is very devastated and upset by what's happened,” Mr. Burdett said, expressing their deep sorrow.

The centuries-old, 6,056-square-foot structure was valued at $191,000, according to assessors' records. With the nearly 12 acres around the building, the property's total valuation is $401,200.

Nelson Burlingame, building commissioner, said the building is believed to be in compliance with state building codes.

Asked whether there were any violations, he replied: “Not that we know of.”

Mr. Burlingame said he believed the last renovations were at least 20 years ago, and the building was up to code at that time.

However, Mr. Burlingame said no inspection would have been done at the house unless permits for work had been taken out, and no such permits have been requested since the early 1990s.

State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said 14 towns from Massachusetts and Rhode Island assisted in the firefighting efforts.

Fire Chief William Kessler said the first engine on scene connected to the nearest fire hydrant, which was 1,200 feet up the road at 526 Hartford Avenue East, where the municipal water supply ends.

“We came up short; we only had about 1,000 feet of hose,” Chief Kessler said, adding that tankers from Uxbridge and surrounding towns were called in.

Firefighters created a tanker shuttle — drafting water from the Blackstone River on Mendon Road (Route 16) to bring back to the fire.

There is a body of water across the street from the fire, but that water was too difficult to access, Chief Kessler said.

The heavy fire caused the building to collapse, and fire crews were sifting through the wreckage, searching for the missing mother and daughter.

Whether or not the home had working smoke detectors is part of the investigation, which is being undertaken by the Uxbridge fire and police departments, Massachusetts state troopers assigned to the Worcester district attorney's office and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and Crime Scene Investigation Unit.